Seventeen months after the LP-A building bond passed in May of 2010, a meeting was held at the Lake Park City Hall concerning the access road from the new 7-12 facility to Highway 10. The access road was one item the landowner required to give the free property to the district. On this item alone I could never support the bond.

For years and years I and others specifically asked the Superintendent at the informational meetings "do you have written permission from the state and MnDot to connect the access road to highway 10?" The only response was, "That's not a problem." This left the voters believing the Superintendent knew what he was talking about. Obviously that was not the case as time has shown.

We are now trying to complete the access road when this should have been taken care of before we voted. Who was responsible for letting this happen, the State, the Superintendent and board, the MN Dept of Education, Who?

At the informational meetings the Supt. indicated the total cost would be under $200,000 to complete the access road. On many occasions the "NO" voters repeatedly said this figure was grossly understated and wanted to see written confirmation that the access road was a go.

The recent figures now indicate a cost of somewhere around $800,000, with a new request to Becker County to sponsor a grant for $500,000 to assist the completion of the access road. I was always amazed how the State, State Representatives, MN Dept of Education and now the County has assisted the district in its' endeavor to complete the access road. The only people who should have voted on the bond were the property owners. They pay the bill, and that includes the "seasonal property owners." If you can send them a Property tax statement you can send them an absentee ballot. This is gross negligence on the part of the State and needs to be corrected.

It may still be several months before a route and permission comes down for this project, which is almost two years after the vote. The school district had years to at least get something in writing before the bonding vote. They chose not to and left the voter believing the Superintendent and board. The board had every opportunity to press the issue and make sure permission was granted. Instead they kept silent.

If you wish to comment please do as I did. Attend 90 percent of board meetings for 10 plus years, run for the school board several times, collect signatures and present petitions to the board, have an Administrative Law Judge rule in my favor against the LP-A District. -- George W. Kohn, Audubon